


Transmission Static

by MicheTS



Series: Transmission Static [1]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2824337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicheTS/pseuds/MicheTS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's blackouts at Silas U, a weird tree is growing out the pit under the Lustig Theatre and our girls are sticking their noses where they don't belong as usual!</p><p>Changed the rating to Teen for salty language and a bit of gratuitous violence. </p><p>The brevity of the chapters is sort of meant to stick to the format of the webisodes. Short and sweet!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Start at the End

“The moral implications of this are huge,” I screamed over the din of the machinery, “I can’t just kill all those people.”

“Technically-“

“Technically nothing,” I interrupted, “I know we think they’re dead already. I know I’m dead already. I know most of them have “lived” well past the point they should have. But what if they don’t want to go? What if they aren’t ready? What if the person they need to say goodbye to the most isn’t here?” I had stopped talking about the missing kids a while ago.

Danny unexpectedly grabbed the back of my head and shoved my face into her cleavage. Intentionally or not, I did not know, I was too busy starting to sob like an asshole. When you don’t have feelings for centuries and then you have a lot of feelings, you’re prone to sobbing like an idiot in front of people. She gave me a moment and lifted my chin so we were eye to eye,

“We don’t have time for this Carm-“

We both turned, startled, the banging at the door to the control room had reached a crescendo.They were clearly trying to break it down with something now.

“We don’t have time,” Danny started again, beginning to cry a little as well, “Even if she got here, she’d never get through those guards. We barely got through those guards. You gotta do what we came here to do. So that this all, this whole thing, it wasn’t in vain.”

“I’m so sorry Danny, I’m so, so very sorry.” And I meant it. I was sorry for my mother. I was sorry for my so called family in general. I was especially sorry we both fell for the same girl.

She bent to pick up a large wrench and thrust it into my hands, “Stop apologising. It doesn’t suit you. Fuck this thing up.”

I looked round the room wildly for another exit. I was going down, but I wasn’t about to drag any human life with me. “Up there.” I said pointing to a vent on the side of the opposite wall. I made quick strides to cross the room and shoved a table under the vent. I reached up and ripped the grill cover off. “Get your gangly ass up there. Quickly.”

Danny looked at me sceptically and shook her head.

“You’ll fit.” I said getting exasperated. “You’re going to crawl away from this room and find my girlfriend…” The look on her face stopped me mid-sentence. I’d surprised myself a little saying it out loud. But what could I do? I couldn’t really say what I should say, sorry she fell for my useless lesbian vampire charm Dan. No hard feelings? We didn’t have time for this right now anyway. She’d said so herself. It wasn’t the time or the place, “You’re going to find Laura and the Ginger duo.” I started again, “You’re going to tell them what a big god damn hero I was and then you’re going to go to the inevitable after party thrown by the Zetas and have a good cry in a pint of beer.” I thrust my hand out and thankfully she took it. I pulled her up on to the table and we held hands for a moment, “You’re alright Amazon.”

She laughed and squeezed my hand slightly, “You’re alright too.”

“You need to go.”

She nodded and I watched as she scrambled up into the vent and disappeared. It seemed to take an age for her legs to actually fully disappear. How freaking tall was she anyway? I jumped down off the table and let out a big sigh. Time to do the right thing again.


	2. A Week Ago or There Abouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura checks in via a written post as there's no broadband on campus to upload videos.

Dear readers,

It seems weird calling you that when I’ve only ever known you as viewers, but I’m sure you can understand, we don’t all have unlimited data plans that would allow me to continue uploading this vital information as video. So we’re blogging with a ‘b’ and not a ‘v’ for the time being.

As you know, things got a little strange about a week ago or there abouts when I struggled to post my last video. There have been random blackouts and brownouts on campus for a few days now and the internet has been up and down. We’re all still on high alert after our last run in with the Dean. She is still nowhere to be found and the School Administration say these blackouts are nothing to be concerned about. Which obviously is our first clue that they are clearly something to be very concerned about.

We were in the middle of lighting candles during one of these blackouts when LaFontaine knocked on our door. That was a thing people did now, they knocked. I think it was maybe the moment a couple of days ago when Perry walked in on me and Carm’ making out in our underwear that finally did it. Everyone started knocking after that. After all, Carmilla did go all big cat and chase her round the halls of the building for 20 minutes. Perry says it’s going to take weeks to get the carpet fixed.

So. Where was I? Oh, yeah, we were in the middle of lighting candles when LaFontaine knocked on the door. She had worrying news. People are going missing again. This time though, it doesn’t look like they are coming back at all. They’re just… gone. Carmilla doesn’t think we should start poking around, not after what happened the last time. I think her exact words were,

“Can’t we just enjoy the darkness for a little while Baumkuchen?”

I had to Google that, baumkuchen, I thought it was maybe a term of endearment in her original language. Which I suppose it kind of was. It’s some sort of German cake.

I guess when you’re 334 years old and immortal you sort of forget the immediacy of the issue when people start going missing. Particularly when it’s been your crazy Vampire mother’s M.O. for years and you just died even though you’re already dead. She seems more irritated than usual with her mother missing. I worry about her. I think she worries about me.

That’s why I’m sat here writing this post for you guys. I wanted to go to the Lustig building and check on the pit. See if there had been any…movement. Carm said if it meant that much to me and it meant she’d get peace to read for the rest of the evening she’d go check it out herself. I just hope she’s back soon.


	3. A Storm, a Tree, My Mother's Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Laura's request Carm goes and checks on the pit...

I hate this place. This campus. I hate it even more at night when the things my mother has invited here feel more comfortable slinking out of the woodwork. I guess I was one of those things. I am one of those things. I’m hungry. But I have to get this out the way before I eat. Laura kept going on and on and on about the theatre and how we should maybe check the pit and make sure it’s not linked to the blackouts. Me? I just wanted to barricade the door to our dorm room and forget the world existed for a few years. Which is impractical on many levels, I know.

So here I am instead, stomping across campus at 11 pm in increasingly heavy rain. I told Laura to get some sleep, I’d be back late, and nothing could possibly go wrong. Right? Right. Wrong.

“Shit snacks,” I muttered under my breath. The giantess that’s in love with Laura was sat on the steps outside the theatre, “What are you doing here?” I asked as I approached.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Danny replied, standing up to her full height and shifting the trident the Zetas gave her from her left hand to her right. I think she was trying to intimidate me. It was cute.

I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood for a pissing contest. Did I mention I was hungry? 

“I’m here to check on the giant hole under the building that we threw my mother into and you pulled me out of, gingersnap.” I snarled contemptuously, I couldn’t help but show a little fang.

She sneered back at me and pointed over my shoulder with the trident, “I’m waiting for them.”

I turned to see who she was pointing at, “Fick mich,” I threw my hands up into the air as the other two ginger’s approached us.

“Carmilla? You’re here?” Perry asked as they walked passed me to where Danny stood.

“Apparently, we all are.” I crossed my arms and would’ve sighed if I actually breathed.

The three of them stood staring at me. The rain was still lashing down, it was starting to turn to snow. We could stand here all night if someone didn’t take control of the situation,

“Well if you three want to continue to enjoy the fine weather this evening, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going inside.” That was undoubtedly the first mistake I was going to make tonight.

I pushed passed them and started through the building. The place was still pretty banged up from the previous battle. There was rubble and debris everywhere and possibly the remnants of a recently held frat party. Eventually I heard three sets of footsteps fall in line behind me as we began to descend into the catacombs below the theatre. They followed silently for the most part. Every now and then the giantess would bang her head off a stalactite and I’d grin a little. I never said I was a nice person. The closer we got to the pit, the more Perry would chat nervously. It was clear she was only here to make sure her lil buddy didn’t do anything stupid or too heroic should the moment arise. It was clear they were all here just to irritate me. I was about to turn and tell them to shut the hell up when I reached the pit and what I saw stopped me in my tracks.

“What the eff is that?” Danny pulled the trident from her shoulder and stood defensively.

“It’s a tree.” I answered. Stating the obvious. I mean it was. It was a tree. But it wasn’t like any tree I’d ever seen and I’ve seen a few in the hundreds of years I’ve roamed this sad little planet. It was huge for a start. It reached from who knows where in the pit up into the roof of the cave and out beyond. If I had to guess, I would say it was going through the whole building and out into the night, we just hadn’t seen it from the front entrance. The bark of the tree was split in various places and the same light that had spilled forth from the pit seemed to be suspiciously surging through the tree and its branches. That should have been my first clue to just stay the hell away from it.

“It’s fascinating,” LaFontaine said as they started to step towards the tree.

“Susan!” Perry shouted as she grabbed their arm, “No way am I letting you go near that thing.”

It was hard to tell if the dirty look LaFontaine drew Perry was for calling them Susan or impeding their journey towards the tree.

“I’ll go,” I offered with a shrug, “I’m dead already.”

“We’ll go,” The giant ginger said as she started walking with me towards the damn thing, “I’m not watching Laura mourn you twice.”

I had to admire her big metaphorical balls. Danny didn’t seem to be afraid of much. As we were about to reach the thing I stepped in a puddle of blue…stuff. Then I made my second mistake of the evening, I bent down and touched it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a wee note. This chapter and all the others after it are gonna be named after Bobby Bare Jnr songs. If you like alt country/rock music you should Spotify the hell out of him. He's a talented guy.


	4. Uh Wuh Oh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LaF and Perry catch Laura up on what happened at the pit

Dear Readers,

I would like to take satisfaction in saying I was right. I was so right. The blackouts and communication jam have to be something to do with the pit! But I can’t take any satisfaction in it. Carm’ is missing. Again. Well, maybe not missing. LaF says I can’t jump to the worst conclusion every time she doesn’t come home. Unpredictable creature of the night and all that. But I thought…

Well, after what they told me what happened, I can’t help but start to panic.

LaF and Perry dropped by at the sociable hour of 3 am this morning. I’d fallen asleep with my face in my lit homework. When I answered the door I had half a cookie stuck in my hair and Perry picked it out in that maternally scolding way of hers. She had that concerned but completely freaked out in denial look on her face and Lafontaine was bursting to tell me what they’d found. A giant creepy tree that was oozing light and goo!

They’d been at the pit with Danny when they bumped into Carm’. So at least I know the last place she was seen. It stung a little that Danny hadn’t come with them to deliver this update. I guess we’re trying to give each other space? But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss her.

Anyways. The creepy pit tree. LaF was desperate to take samples, but Perry wasn’t going to let them anywhere near it. So my dumb, but oh so brave, vampire and Danny went to take a closer look. That was when they discovered the goo. Carmilla stepped in it apparently and then things got even weirder. Like Hellmouth weird. You’d think after the giant mushrooms, the gnomes and everything else we’ve seen we’d be used to this stuff. But no. It’s still weird.

Carm’ bent down and touched the goo. LaFontaine said it was like a bolt of lightning shot through her body and she started speaking in tongues. Carm’ eventually stopped convulsing and rolled on to her side, muttering to herself. No one could make out what she was saying. She refused their offers of help (of course she did) and pushed herself up on to all fours. Perry said she met their gazes briefly, snarled and turned into her animal form. She then let out a deafening yowl and sprinted up the tree and out of sight faster than a released Snitch.

By the time they got back through the tunnels and out round the back of the theatre Carmilla was nowhere to be seen. Although the rest of the creepy tree was now fully visible to them. LaFontaine said the branches snaked through the roof and down the side of the building. Almost as if they were part of the architecture. Perry had briefly tried to justify it as over grown ivy which had drawn her a withering look from Danny. Before they could start bickering LaF intervened and pointed out the branches all seemed to be heading in the same direction when they met the ground. They were all heading towards the library.


	5. Your Adorable Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla finds herself up a tree naked...

I had no idea what time it was when I woke up in the woodlands surrounding the University Campus. What I did know was that it was daylight (not ideal), I was naked (really not ideal) and I was up a high tree (what the fuck?!). I had a splitting headache and no idea what had led me out here last night. The lingering taste of alcohol was absent from my mouth (so I didn’t get drunk and do something idiotic), but not the lingering taste of blood. I gingerly ran my tongue round my mouth and teeth. Animal. It was animal blood. So I didn’t murder anyone. Always a plus when you are a reforming minion of evil. A little pang of relief crept through the ache in my brain.

Ok Carmilla. You’ve got several educational degrees and a centuries of life experience, you can put this together. If I was up a tree in the woods and had drained a…deer (I’m pretty sure it was a deer), then I must have been roaming the woodlands in my animal form. Ok. But why? Why was I prowling as Catmilla, urgh I hated that, it was a nickname one of those toddlers had given me after the fight in the …the pit. Oh god. My Mother’s head! I leaned over the branch I was perched on and unceremoniously threw up my stomach contents.

I had been with Laura’s friend’s last night and we’d found that weird tree thing growing out of the pit. I stepped in…something, then I touched it and then suddenly I had been in my Mother’s god damn, twisted, rotten head. I didn’t remember anything after that. Just the screaming and the madness. The utter madness of that woman’s mind.

Oh, that’ll explain the migraine then. I touched my hand to my temple and tried to choke down the nausea. Somehow the tree and the goo and this horrific indignity I was suffering were all linked to that thing in the pit that we didn’t kill. Was my mother alive down there somewhere? That thought alone made my stomach lurch violently and I threw up again. None of this explained why I was naked though. When I changed forms my clothing usually went with me. My head was clanging too hard to puzzle it out on my own right now. I needed to eat and I needed out of this infernal sunlight.

I only really had a few options here; 

1\. Walk back to the dorm naked (nope).  
2\. Change back to my animal form and walk back to campus as a big black cat, which would maybe draw some strange looks but probably not knowing this place.  
3\. Sit shivering my ass off in this tree until it got dark and I could get close enough to our dorm to poof myself into the bathroom.

I was about to completely give in to feeling sorry for myself when I heard my name being called, faintly at first, but getting louder and more recognisable. No, no, no. It was Laura and the funny, smart ginger one who was really into science. As they got closer I could see they were carrying my discarded clothes, which were disgusting. I could smell the damp and the blood from here. Jesus Christus. Bits and pieces started to flood back to me. Had I tried to clean them in the creek when I had started to come into my own mind again last night? Something was tickling the back of my brain about wanting to get cleaned up so I didn’t freak Laura out when I got back to the dorm. But why didn’t I go back? Urgh. It didn’t matter. I guess being in your Mother’s head briefly can mess you up like that.

“Carmilla!” Laura called out, “CARM’!” I could hear the strain in her voice.

I couldn’t let her see me like this though. I mean we hadn’t even, I wanted to take things slow. Contrary to popular belief, I am an old fashioned girl. Vampire. Whatever. Sharing a small space as we do, she’d seen me in my underwear, but she’d never seen me. The first time sure as hell wasn’t going to be dirty and feral and clambering down this tree. I ran a clammy hand through my dirty hair, stretched my back and did the only thing I could. I shifted.

“CARM’?!” she called again.

This time I answered with a chirp and bounded down the tree.

“Carmilla! Thank god.” Laura threw her arms round my neck and buried her face in my fur. “Where have you been all night?” She pulled back and her relief was replaced quickly with confused anger, “Why didn’t you come home? We found your stuff by the creek, all wet and covered in blood!”

I nuzzled her face and she pushed me away as she stood up.

“This isn’t funny Carmilla. I was worried sick. Change back. Talk to me!”

I snarled and paced way from Laura. For someone so intelligent, she could be incredibly frustrating sometimes.

“Um, Laur’, I don’t think she can.” LaFontaine interrupted, “If I’m holding her clothes, then she’s…”

“…naked” Laura said finally catching up, a blush creeping up her neck and face. She turned to LaFontaine and grabbed the soggy bundle of clothing from their arms. Laura smiled at me apologetically and took my clothes behind the nearest bush.

I padded to where she’d left the pile and shifted under the cover of the scrub. I was going to have to sleep for a week after all this, “No peeping buttercup.” I drawled as I pulled my wet t-shirt and pants on. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Laura fluster as she went to turn and reply, but then realised she’d be doing what I was teasing her for if she did. Damn adorable human.

I stepped out from behind the bush and took a few squirmy steps, trying in vain to get the wet denim out of my ass crack. I’d survived torture less excruciating than wet skinny denim.

“What?” I huffed as the two of them just stood staring at me. I looked down and realised what a mess I was, all mud and blood and leaves in my hair, “It was a deer,” I offered a little sheepishly, “maybe two.”


	6. Snuggling World Championships

\- Snuggling World Championships –   
When we got back to the dorm Carmilla kicked off her boots,  
“I smell like the undercarriage of a moose.” She wrinkled her nose and pecked me gently on the cheek before heading for the bathroom, “Thanks for coming to look for me Cutie.” She said as she closed the door, not waiting for a reply.  
I sat on my bed and let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Not a text. It was letting me know it was nearly out of battery. I reached behind me and flicked the switch to my owl lamp. Nothing. Urgh. I flopped face down onto the mattress. Still no power. So no updates until I could get this antiquated thing charged. Not that I had anything new to tell anyone. We still weren’t any further forward. But at least we’d found Carmilla.  
The water shut off in the bathroom and I busied myself getting Carm’s blood out the fridge, making myself a mug of hot coco too. When she came back into our room, wrapped in a towel and considerably cleaner, I almost forgot I was angry at her disappearing act last night. She raised an eyebrow playfully and I blushed.  
I handed her the tall glass of blood and she took it from me gratefully, hungrily gulping it down. I saw a creeping blush flash through her skin as she sat the glass down and opened the wardrobe, searching for something clean to wear.  
“So…” I started, turning to look out the window to give her some privacy.   
“I’m tired sweetheart.” Carmilla replied, “And you can turn back round if you want to.” She said as she tugged an oversized t-shirt over her head and dropped her towel to the floor. Where she left it.  
I took a sip from my TARDIS mug and watched as she flopped on to her bed, closed her eyes and brought her knees up to her chest. I hovered by the window, slightly awkward and unsure what to do with myself. Was that the end of the conversation? Should I just leave her to sleep?  
“C’mere Cupcake.” She said startling me slightly.  
I sat my mug down and joined her on the bed. She scooted over towards the wall with her back to me, her eyes still closed. I cuddled into her back and breathed in the smell of her clean hair. My shampoo. Why wouldn’t it be? I smiled and gently placed my hand on her hip.  
Quietly and with her voice thick with exhaustion Carm’ told me what she could remember from the night before. She kept apologising if all the blood had freaked me out. Apparently Catmilla was a messy eater. I relayed what the gang had realised about the tree and the library and she groaned,  
“No good has ever come from that library.”  
I kissed her shoulder gently and felt her relax back into me a little.  
“I know I’m going to regret saying this. But we’ll go to the library tonight. Ok? For now I just want to…”  
“Snuggle?” I interrupted.  
Carm’ let out a little laugh, took my hand in hers and brought it to her chest, “Your words Creampuff, not mine.”


	7. That Motherfucker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang head to the library.

-That Motherfucker-

I was having that nightmare again. No. Not that one. Not the one with the coffin and all the blood. The nightmare where I’m playing the drums for a prog rock band with lyrics based on the writing on famous philosophers, I loathe prog rock. Midway through a song I realised it wasn’t the beat that was reverberating round my brain when I felt Laura shift underneath me. It was some cretin knocking on our door. I groaned, rolled over and pulled a pillow over my head.

“Least they’re remembering to knock.” She offered sleepily as she got up to answer the door.

From all the highly-strung chatter that had filled the room I figured I better sit up and pay attention.

“So there’s a whole sub basement that just wasn’t there before!” I heard the bio major say excitably as I pulled the pillow off my face.

“Wait,” I said, sitting up and running a hand through my messy bed hair, “You went to the library without us?”

Betty Crocker clicked her tongue, crossed her arms and looked at her little sidekick as if to say, see I told you we should have waited.

“It was fine. It was still light out and as soon as an attendant started hovering ominously we made ourselves scarce.”

Laura looked from the ginger twins to me expectantly and I lazily swung my legs over the side of my bed, “Just let me put some pants on.”

 

On the walk to the library I kept trying to puzzle out if I found it noble or incredibly, incredibly stupid that the humans I found myself recently bound to kept throwing themselves in the path of certain death like this. I settled on it just being exhausting.

When we reached the library the power was coming and going at regular intervals and I said something I never thought I’d say, “Should we have called Xena?”

As irritating as I found her, the Jolly Ginger Giant was great in a fight and I just didn’t have a good feeling about this at all. I didn’t want to be responsible for everyone’s safety.

Laura cocked her head and looked at me quizzically, “It’s just a recon mission, right?”

“Riiight,” I replied the sinking feeling in my stomach intensifying the closer we got to the suddenly appeared sub basement.

“It’s just past this stack,” Lafontaine said as they led the way. They put their hand back to halt us and we all peered round the end of the stack at a door no one could remember having been there before. Ominously there were no attendants to be seen and the books were all nestled quietly on their shelves.

We were about to start debating our next move when the door opened and two vampires I didn’t recognise exited and headed for the library exit, of course, vampires. I sped over and stuck my foot in the doorway to prevent it from clicking shut. I quickly checked the corridor past the door to make sure the coast was clear and waved the others over,

“No matter what happens in there, we stick together.” I said in a low hiss, “We’re here to figure out what’s going on with that weird tree. No heroics.” I pointedly said this at Laura and she gripped my arm and nodded. “After me, then.” I said, taking a tight grip of Laura’s hand and led the way.

We walked into a sterile, well-lit corridor. Once passed the mystery door the power fluctuations seemed to have stopped. So we were in the right place at least. LaFontaine cautiously approached a door to their right and stood on tiptoes to peer through a porthole,

“Paging Maggie Walsh,” They whispered back at us, “That is some next level Initiative stuff happening through there.”

Laura and Perry looked genuinely concerned, I was just confused. More that 50% of what came out their mouths went over my head.

“How can you know what Harry Potter and Veronica Mars are, but you’ve never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Laura whispered, half teasing.

“Well Cupcake, I think your answer is in the title of the show.” I replied flippantly.

“Now is not the time to be discussing your Netflix queue.” Martha Stewart chided us.

I couldn’t help but smile as I stretched up to look through the little window myself. What I saw, however, it wiped the smirk right off my face. Fuck. “Mein Onkle.” I barely breathed as I turned from the window. I was about to tell them we needed to get out of here tout suite. But it was too late. We had already been spotted.

 

 

 

 

 

                 


	8. Demon Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura, LaF and Perry are stuck in a closet to be eaten later. Again.

\- Demon Valley –

Dear Readers

I am blogging to you to from LaF’s phone. Mine has regrettably run out of batteries. Things are not going well. At all. We snuck into this newly discovered sub basement in the Library and have been captured by vampires. Again. They’ve locked Perry, LaF and I in a closet to eat later. Again. I...I don’t know where they took Carm’.

We didn’t make it past the first corridor. Which doesn’t say much for our stealth skills. I know. Carm’ saw something through a window which made her go paler than normal, if that’s even possible. Before she could explain what she saw these storm troopery type vamps entered the corridor and cornered us. LaFontaine tried to tell them we were not the droids they were looking for, but it didn’t go down well. They made it perfectly clear we were very much in the wrong place. I was in the middle of cursing myself for not texting my Dad before my phone died when the door we’d been looking through opened and this really regal, he who shall not be named type of guy stepped through in to the corridor.

Carm’ stepped in front of us protectively and began conversing in fluent German. I had no idea what was being said. Curse my basic German! Either way, it was clear they knew each other and she was very, possibly scared of him. Or she owed him money. I don’t know. The next part happened so fast. The storm trooper vamps rushed us. Carmilla was screaming and swearing in about 15 different languages trying to hold them off, but there was just too many of them. Next thing I knew I was thrown over some vampire’s shoulder and being dumped in a pile with LaFontaine and Perry.

LaF found a damp patch on the back wall caused by a leaking water pipe. She’s been chipping away at it with a broom handle for the last 20 minutes trying to make some sort of a hole. If we can weaken the wall, we might be able to escape. Oh! Perry just exclaimed she can see light.

Oh wow. Holy crap you guys. I wish I could show you this. We’ve…we’ve found the missing students. From what we can see through this tiny hole, it looks like this closet backs on to some sort of laboratory/prison. The students, oh god, they’re all suspended like giant test tube babies Weapon X style. I hope we’re not too late to help them.


	9. That Terrible Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carm's trapped and it's Danny and Kirsch to the rescue!

\- That Terrible Sunshine-

“Mircalla?” A disembodied voice cam crackling through an intercom, “Mircalla?” it said gently again, coaxing me from a fog. This had not been a good week for confused awakenings, “Mircalla?” it asked once more as I came to. No one called me that anymore, no one, except family. I gingerly attempted to open my eyes and let out a pained hiss. U.V. lamps. High strength. Surrounding me. Great. Well, that explains the sickness I felt to my stomach and the weakness in my limbs. I tried to bring my hand up to the sticky, painful spot on the back of my head, but no, tied up to the chair I was sat in. Of course I was. I’d just about had enough of being tied up these past few weeks! I raged with what strength I had left against the rope that bound me, but to no avail.

The intercom crackled and a deep, hollow laugh filtered over the room, “Mircalla, stop. Just stop child.”

I knew that voice. I hadn’t heard it in long and weary, but it was unmistakeably my Mother’s Brother. I tried to open my eyes again, but it was too painful.

“I’d hardly have believed it, but now I’ve seen it with mine own eyes.” My Uncle sounded almost bemused.

I snarled and tried again to summon some sort of strength from somewhere, from anywhere. They had Laura, “If you’ve hurt on hair on her head I will disembowel you and CHOKE YOU TO DEATH WITH YOUR OWN INTESTINES!” My throat ripped with the scream that emanated from my gut.

I continued to pull against the ropes that held me to that damn chair, but all I succeeded in doing was toppling the fucking thing over. I hit the concrete floor with a crack and a sickening thud. I’m pretty sure the crack was my nose.

That damn laugh swam into the room again, “Oh Sweetheart, you always had a soft spot for the naïve and innocent looking ones didn’t you?”

“Is this the part where you explain your dastardly and nefarious plan?” I spat on to the concrete and tried to ignore the pain wracking every inch of my body.

There was a brief pause before the intercom clicked over again and I’m sure I could here distant explosions. For a moment, I was back under that battlefield. All that was missing was the blood.

“Oh it’s not that nefarious, child.” My Uncle sounded different, distracted “I’m just here to finish what my Sister started. Now that she’s…indisposed.”

I took comfort from the cold floor against my bruised body and tried to calm my thoughts into some sort of coherent plan. I choked down the frustrated sob that threatened to leave my throat. I hated these people. I hated them so much. I’d had centuries to despise them and still they pulled me back into their shit. We couldn’t even have a few weeks reprieve. I’d just fucking died.

“You know I was hardly surprised when I received word from Styria that you were causing problems. I told your mother she should have reinterred you when she had the chance. But you were her diamond, she loved that black, black heart of yours. We all knew it was only a matter of time before something or someone set off those lingering emotions you were never able to shed.”

Oh he needed to shut up. Pompous old windbag never knew when it was time to stop talking and take some action. It was always his downfall. All I could think was Laura, Laura, Laura. I had to get out this room. She had to be ok.

“You had such promise, child. I saw you usurping your mother. Just not like this.”

There was wistfulness to this last statement and I couldn’t place if the semblance of sadness was for the death of Maman or the fact I was never fully the monster they wanted me to be. Before I could linger on the thought too long there was an almighty crash beyond the walls of my prison. I heard the door splinter off its hinges and the commotion of a fight spilled in from outside the room,

“Kirsch, get the lamps!” A familiarly tall voice shouted.

“On it Psych’!” Came the reply and I heard the swing of a bat and the smashing of glass repeatedly round the room.

Danny made short work of the knots bounding my wrists and ankles. I rolled from the chair and curled myself into a ball. Oh lord. Everything hurt.

“Come on, you tiny useless vampire.” Danny dragged me to a sitting position and knelt beside me. She flipped her hair to one side, exposing her neck.

I looked at her disgusted, almost offended that she thought I would even bother and attempted to stand. My legs wouldn’t co-operate, they wouldn’t hold my weight, and then I was back on the concrete floor.

The Amazon rolled her eyes, “It’s me or him, Evil Dead.” Danny motioned to Kirsch who was struggling with a henchman. “You’ll need to be at full strength for this fight.”

I sighed in resignation. She was not wrong,

“You can’t blame me if I drain you dry.” I rasped and extended my fangs.

“You won’t, believe me.” She replied as she leaned forward, offering her neck to me.

There was no time to be gentle. I sunk my fangs into her neck and my eyes shot open. Holy fuhhhh…there was power, there was strength and I finally had my answer as to why we rubbed each other the wrong way. I drank greedily and pulled away feeling almost drunk,

“You’ve been keeping secrets White Fang.” I smirked and licked my lips as I stood to my feet, flexing and stretching as my bruises faded and my bones reknitted.

She looked at me sternly, “We never speak of this again Carmilla.” Danny shoved a knapsack into my chest.

I continued smiling; I was totally high off her blood, “What’s this?” I asked peering in the bag.

“Molotov cocktails courtesy of the Alchemy Club,”

I raised an eyebrow as I poked about the bag, “Do they do what they’re supposed to?”

“Define supposed to?” Danny asked with a shrug, “They’re non explosive, well most of them are. They’re all largely disabling rather than destroying. I mean the last one we used covered the hallway with some sort of gum that stuck anyone it hit in place.”

“Are those…” I held one up to the light and turned it round so I could see it better.

“Yeah,” she answered before I could finish my question, “we had to fuse them with tampons. It was the only thing we had an abundance of save for ripping up our clothes.”

“Whatever works,” I shrugged and shoved the cocktail back in the bag and slung it over my shoulder, “Now where’s this fight?”


	10. Don't Follow Me (I'm Lost)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back with Laura and the Ginger twins as they figure out what in the name of all that's holy and Hogwarts is going on!

Dear Readers,

I am finally blogging from an actual computer with an actual Internet connection, but sadly no webcam. It took us a good 15 to 20 minutes of kicking at the damp wall to make a hole we could squeeze ourselves through. Sarah Manning made that look a lot easier. Or her wall was damper.

When we finally managed to crawl through into the next room, we were super confused as to why it was so…unguarded. The room had the missing students in it and it also seemed to be the command center for this whole operation. But it was so very unguarded. So that was lucky. The discovery of a bank of cctv monitors soon explained the lack of security. It was you guys, the students, the Zetas, Danny and all her Summer Society sisters.

Your timely storming of the sub basement clearly drew their available security, which left us stood behind a very strong door with a lot of information to sort through. LaF had remembered to pocket JP before we left for the library and jacked him in to the security system. He changed all the security overrides, securing us a safe haven and we got to work figuring out what in the name of Hogwarts was going on!

If I understand LaFontaine’s explanation correctly, it breaks down like this; It turns out we just made the giant demon anglerfish really angry by stealing it’s lunch. It would seem sending Carm’s Mum to her certain doom supercharged the thing, but it still can’t get out the pit without the ritual with the students. Great.  So to stop the students from wandering off this time they’ve been embalmed in these giant test tubes. LaF is trying to figure out if they’re still alive or if at this point we’re on damage control only. The tree is being fed their souls through some giant generator that’s somewhere else in this sub basement and, I guess, in turn the tree is feeding the thing in the pit. That’s a very basic explanation; LaF says it’s all a really messy combination of old magic and modern technology. We have to destroy the generator and hope that the evil in the pit hasn’t had enough to eat to be able to climb out. If it climbs.

We managed to relay this info to Danny via text:

Saw you kicking ass on security cam. Need you to destroy giant soul sucking machinery.

The reply LaFontaine received read:

FOUND USELESS VAMPIRE. POINT US IN RIGHT DIRECTION.

So Carm’ is ok. Phew. We caught them on one of the security monitors a while ago. They seemed to be having a somewhat trying time in the fight lobbing what I can only assume were Molotov cocktails provided by the Alchemy Club. One seemed to explode into confetti which didn’t help much other than it provided distraction long enough for Carm’ to boot a stormtrooper in the boy parts and stake him.

By cross referencing the power fluctuations with the schematics of the library, JP has managed to pin point the generator to one room not that far from where we’ve secured ourselves. Unfortunately the Battle for Galifray raging out there has now knocked out most the security cameras, so we’re sitting here blind, crossing all our digits that Danny got LaF’s last text with the directions. That was 20 minutes ago.

I’m starting to think this room might not be as safe as we’d thought. There’s been a scraping, banging, thumping sound above us getting louder and louder and…

…Holy crap! You guys it was Danny! She just fell from the ceiling in a pile of tiles and limbs. Oh, gee, her ankle should not be bending that way.


	11. Let's Rock n Roll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saturday night's alright for fighting!

-Let’s Rock n Roll-

I jumped down off the table and sighed. Time to do the right thing again. I felt the weight of the wrench in my hand and tried to figure out where to start tearing in to the big soul sucking generator thing. The concept was simple enough. Destroy machinery and send monster and Maman’s soul back down to the depths of hell where they belonged. No diving to ridiculous depths of the ocean, no glowing sword ripping out the fabric of my existence, no pit to swan dive into this time. Excellent. I raised the wrench above my head and was about to smash into a particularly weak looking spot when the door finally gave way and in poured all the lack wits who were now gunning exclusively for me,

“Arschloch!” I cursed and threw the wrench into the face of the first vampire lackey to reach me. The rest of them were on me in seconds and we became a torrent of snarling teeth and nails. I kicked and fought and managed to wriggle out the pile by changing into my animal form. They formed a perimeter round the generator as I climbed to higher ground. I prowled back and forth and tried to figure out my next move. Just then I heard a familiar war cry as Laura and the others lead the charge into the room. I cocked my head to the side and would’ve laughed if I’d been in my human shape. That big, dumb, puppy dog Zeta that had helped liberate me earlier was wheeling Xena in on an office chair and she was taking vamps out with her trident like Sir Lancelot at a jousting competition.

On a more serious note, this was not a fair fight. The humans of Silas University, no matter how brave, were outnumbered. That’s when it caught the corner of my eye. A rogue Alchemy Club Molotov cocktail had rolled between boxes on the opposite side of the room. It must have come loose in the struggle. Ok. It was a lottery as to what it might do, but anything at this point would help.

I shifted back in to my human form and scanned the battlefield for Laura. Her diminutive size was not making this an easy task. Got her! I transported into the middle of a melee and managed to intercept a blow heading for her face, “Hey Cutie.” I smirked, so damn happy to see her. I slipped an arm round her waist and pulled her out of the path of another vamp. She looked at me wide eyed and I signaled for her to listen as I ducked us down out of the fight and behind some tall moving crates. “I have a plan, “ I started as she steadied herself and caught her breath. “I’m going for that.” I said pointing at the still unnoticed Molotov nestled in its hiding place across the room. “I have no idea what it’s going to do. You need to tell as many of the humans in the room to pool together and head towards me and away from the generator.” I gently cupped her face in my hands, “It’ll limit the casualties the best we can.”

She nodded and went to speak. I put my finger gently across her lips and shook my head. I could tell what she was going to say from the quickening of her heartbeat and the quiver of her bottom lip. I did too. But I didn’t want to hear it. Not here. Not now.

I lent forward and kissed her tenderly, “On my signal.” I whispered as our lips parted. Then I was gone, across the room in a puff of black smoke.


	12. The Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I somehow wedge my fanfic right up to the Christmas special

-  The Ending-

“Well, this feels more familiar,” I said as I shifted uncomfortably at my desk chair. It was hard to sit properly whilst wearing half my wardrobe at once. I re-angled the camera so Carmilla’s haphazard packing wasn’t so distractingly in frame, “If you were there, you know how the fight ended…” I paused and took a deep breath, “…if you weren’t, then we won?” I offered with a shrug, “The battle that is. We won the battle.” I groaned and flopped on to my desk.

“But not the war Sweetheart.” Carmilla said finishing my thought. She gently placed her hand to my head in comfort before she continued to ram things into her duffel.

I lifted my head off the desk and continued, “If anyone is still watching these, I hope it’s from somewhere safer than on campus. If you are still here at the University, please, please head to the north side of campus as soon as possible, to where the school grounds meet the Forrest. We’re all going to meet there…” I was interrupted by an all mighty tremor. Carm’ spun me round in my chair and looked me pointedly in the eye,

“Laura we need to go.” She stressed.

“Ok, ok,” I said as I turned back to the camera quickly, “North side of campus. Grounds meet forrest.” I clicked off the camera, no time to edit and clicked upload. I hoped it would upload ok. I wondered if my Dad would see it. I wondered if he knew I was safe. Or sort of safe.

Carmilla was at the door with all the stuff we could carry, “Come on Cupcake.” She was getting exasperated with me now.

“Coming,” I huffed as I got to my feed and took the room in one last time. Our room. A room we might not be seeing again. “Carm’,” I started as I met her at the door, “if this doesn’t…if we don’t…” I stumbled over my words, “I just want you to know…”

“Not now,” she said, interrupting me just as I’d got my stupid words to co-operate. I looked at my feet and shuffled, she seemed to do this every time I tried to… She broke my chain of thought by placing the gentlest of kisses on the end of my nose. An involuntary giggle escaped my mouth and I blushed. “Not now,” she said again as she tugged me out the door, “tell me later.”


	13. But I Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Carm wraps the story up for us

-But I Do-

After all the…unpleasantness in the sub basement, it was decided that we would need to flee campus. I didn’t disagree. We might have beaten the vamps and destroyed the generator, but it was too late. Just, too late. It was no longer safe to stay here, we had to go and warn the neighbouring villages, find help if it was to be found.

Everyone who could make it met at the edge of the woods. Danny took charge. I let her. Campus was now inaccessible to the outside world. We would need to hike out if we stood any chance. So we divided ourselves up into groups and decided what directions we’d set off in.

The Amazon and the puppy dog declined to join our group and I can’t say I was distraught at the thought. The ginger giant said it made no sense to put all your strengths into one group and I didn’t disagree with her. That was twice now. With some reluctance to split up the group I finally got the Ginger Twins and Laura moving and we begun our hike in to the mountains.

By day 20 I was pretty sure we were lost. Not only were we lost, I was pretty sure I was losing my mind. It was too dangerous to hike at night for the humans, so we were hiking during the (thankfully grey and foggy) days, but still during the day. I don’t know what was more exhausting, traveling by day or listening to the ever-alternating jukebox of Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs presented by the Bobbsey Twins.  Oh god, it was Christmas. I hate Christmas.

I was also fucking starving. Did I mention I’d had to eat a badger? Euugh, the thought was still turning my stomach. But it was better than nothing or accidentally eating one of Laura’s friends. Probably Perry. I tweeted about that the other day and earned myself some amusement and the ire of her little sidekick for an hour or so.

By day 22, things definitely turned round somewhat. I had the opportunity of something decent to eat and everyone had a safe, warm place to sleep for at least one night.

On the morning of day 23 I woke up curled up on the opposite side of a diner booth from Laura. I smiled as I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and took in the image of Laura’s face, flecked with gingerbread crumbs and drool. I shook my head,

“Ich liebe dich.” I whispered, reaching over to push her hair out of her eyes.

“I love you too Carm’” she muttered, a sleepy smile spreading across her face.

Because of course, she was awake to hear me and that would be the one bit of German she’d actually picked up.


End file.
